Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2017 22:19:39 GMT
The NBA is getting serious about combating its DNP (rest) problem.
The league's owners are set to approve a set of rule changes that will penalize teams for resting healthy players, according to a report from USA TODAY's Jeff Zillgitt. According to Zillgitt, the rules will be approved in September and will go into effect for the upcoming season, which begins in October.
This comes two days after ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that a memo had been sent out to teams outlining schedule changes designed to give players more rest, including reducing grueling stretches and cutting down on travel for one-off away games. These changes, which are made possible by starting the season a week earlier in October than in years past, ostensibly aim to disincentivize teams from resting healthy players.
Adam Silver Thinks If Invited, NBA Teams Should Go to the White House
The proposed schedule changes give special protection to nationally televised games by ensuring that those games are not part of a back-to-back. There's some speculation that resting players for nationally televised could result in a steeper punishment under the new rules.
Comissioner Adam Silver has spoken at length about the resting issue, expressing that he understands why teams want to rest stars but also acknowledging the challenges the trend presents from a business perspective.
“There is a recognition from teams that on one hand a certain amount of resting is just inevitable and appropriate to keep the players healthy, but that they shouldn’t be resting multiple starters on the same night,” Silver said at his NBA Finals press conference. “And, incidentally, wherever possible, they should rest at home. Because there, while I feel for the home fans, just as much as the away fans, the away fans may only get a chance to see that team once. And of course, the home team home fans can see that team many times.”
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I can't tell you how much I hate this. Yeah, if I had tickets to see the Rockets and Harden and and Paul were resting, I'd be pissed. But all this is going to accomplish is to have players with BS injuries or described how they do in hockey - "Westbrook out with a lower body injury." It'll be as legit as the Patriots' injury reports.
Seriously - who wants to tune into see Cleveland when LeBron, Irving and Love are sitting out?
Think this happened in Memphis last year.
My deal was - could care less about TV - what about that poor family that purchased tickets in Memphis that probably cost and arm and a leg to take their kids to see LeBron & Co. paid for parking, concessions etc - and you're getting the 10th, 11th and the 12th man on the bench instead getting major minutes.
It's a really interesting subject.
My thought - rest these guys at 'Home' - your home city gets 41 games a season to get to see them.